Stringed instrument



J. RICHTER.

TSTRINGED INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MA,1,1920.

1,409,064. T Patented Mar. 7,1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STRINGED INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

Application filed May 1, 1920. Serial No. 378,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHANNES RICHTER, a

citizen of the German Republic, and residing at Niederlossnitz-Dresden,Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StringedInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in stringed instruments, and moreparticularly to an improved braking device for preventing the tensionedstrings from becoming loose by an unintended return movement of thestring tensioning-bolt.

In the annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view, and

' Fig. 2 is a sectional side view, of the head of a mandolin fitted withthe improved arrangement, while Fig. 3 shows the string tensioning-boltwith its braking member.

The head a of the stringed instrument, in the example a mandolin, isfitted with one bore for-ea ch string, which bores, for preventing thesame from becoming worn, are provided with a metal plate or metal plates6 fixed on said head. Each bore serves for the reception of a stringtensioning-bolt, which snugly fits therein and which comprises a metalpin having a thin front part c and a thicker rear part 03 with anintermediary cone e, while in said front part c a cross-hole f for thereception of the string-end and on the end of said rear part d a handleg for turning the bolt are provided, the latter being detachably fixedto the bolt by means of a cotter h. On said cone 6 a disc i is eitherfirmly pressed thereon or integral with said cone. On the metal plate ormetal plates 6, an arc-shaped member 7:, one for each tensioning-bolt,is so fulcrumed at I that, when the tensioningbolt is put in place, itcan be brought in peripheral contact with the disc 2', said arcshapedmember 70 having a length of about of the circumference of said disc. Onthe free downwardly pointing end of said arcshaped member 7a, a.projection m is provided.

The operation is as follows The stringend is led at an angle over theprojection m of said arc-shaped member 7; and then wound upon the thinend 0 of the tensioning-bolt and fixed with its free end in thecross-hole f of the same. When tensioning the string by a rotation ofthe tensioniug-bolt, the arc-shaped member 7: is pulled into closercontact with the periphery of the disc '5 and forms thus a kind of brakefor preventing a return movement of the tensioning-bolt, whereby thestring is prevented from becoming'loose and permanently kept in thetensioned position, said braking action being the higher the more thestring is tensioned.

What I claim, is

In a stringed instrument, a string tensioning-bolt, a disc on thelatter, an arc-shaped member fulcrumed above said disc and in peripheralcontact with the latter, a projection on the free end of said arc-shapedmember, and a string-end first led at an angle over said projection,then wound upon, and finally fixed to, said tensioning-bolt,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHANNES RICHTER.

Vitnesses llIr'iLLnR BERNEEK, .IoHANNus Gonrz.

